The Lance!

The interview I did last week has been posted today! It is available online, but I will repost it here!

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Oh! C.N.A.P.: Craft Nights at Phog to appreciate the arts

By Stefanie Helbich
Lance Writer
March 4, 2009

The mind-nugget of Nicole Drouillard of Tecumseh, Oh! C.N.A.P! (Craft Nights at Phog) hopes to provide a place for crafters of all ages and crafts to meet once a month, bringing together people that enjoy a common pastime.
“I basically grew tired of not having anybody to craft with in the area. There are outlets for people who do certain crafts like scrapbooking and knitting, but nothing that is open to crafters of all types and ages and socio-economic status,” said Drouillard.
“I am trying to fulfill a need that I see among friends and acquaintances and I want to make it available to anybody who is interested in coming.”
Drouillard has seen first hand the types of crafters that exist in our community. She has contributed to a variety of local craft shows and has seen people from every age and social group come together to sell and donate their wares to others.
“For many people, crafting is an outlet,” she explained. “When I am stressed out I knit. There are a lot of stressful events going on right now in our city and crafting is an awesome way to relax.”
Historically a variety of crafts have been used in many cultures, but in recent years crafts have been frowned upon by the arts community.
“There isn’t a lot available in the community for crafters so we need to bring it out into the community eye and make it seen. Crafting is often looked down upon by the arts community as being less worthwhile than the fine arts. I think though that the line or boundary between the two are blurred, and that is a good thing. If you feel good and are expressing yourself then who cares if it is called an art or a craft,” Drouillard said.
“People just need to be open to it. Like they say, if you build it they will come. I basically want to get the word out there that there are other crafters around, and that you don’t need to do it alone,” she continued.
Phog Lounge, the chosen location of the events, recently won CBC Radio 3’s Best Live Music Club in Canada, and while the winner wasn’t announced at the time of our interview, Drouillard was rooting for the venue.
“Tom Lucier is an awesome guy,” she said. “He held a T-shirt art show back in December, and knowing that he did that, Tom was the only person that I went to about Oh! C.N.A.P. I knew that if Phog wasn’t willing to do it I didn’t know who would be. They really support the local community and its artists of all types.”
Oh! C.N.A.P. meets for the first time Thursday, March 5 at 6:30 p.m. at Phog, located at 157 University Ave. W. It is open to all ages and all crafts that are portable and don’t make a mess or harm anyone else are permitted.
Check out Oh! C.N.A.P. online at ohcnap.wordpress.com.